cooking manual from a real kitchen

Strawberry Peanut Butter Wraps

Sometimes it is really hard to convince yourself to eat breakfast in the morning but you have to because it really is the most important meal of the day. Your body uses food–primarily carbohydrates (this is your body’s favorite food to fuel source)–as it’s go to source for energy. It’s important to eat a healthy, balanced diet to not only keep your metabolism going but to also keep your brain functioning on early mornings. I know some people skip meals in order to reduce their calorie intake because they think that this will help them burn stored fat–well, unfortunately the body doesn’t quite work that way.

Skipping meals is actually bad for your metabolism. The body gets tricked into preservation mode when you don’t eat enough calories/a balanced diet. What does preservation mode mean? It means that your body is actually tricked into storing fat/won’t give up fat because it thinks that there are impending bad times ahead–you can thank evolution for this phenomena. When food used to be scare, our bodies would store and hold onto as much fat as possible–think of it as your bodies very own rainy day fund.

This is what really happens in the body.

Body breaks down carbohydrates –> energy

Once carbohydrate stores are depleted–>body looks for other sources to break down for fuel in the body…

What this all means? If you don’t ingest enough protein and carbs, your body will actually start munching on its own muscles for fuel. Not good!

Extreme athletes that push themselves to extreme limits will use protein as a source of energy after all other stores are depleted–but they also know how to replenish protein quickly so it doesn’t do damage to their bodies. The average person–who say is walking to work–shouldn’t be using protein as a source of energy at all. That’s why it is important to eat a diet that has both protein and healthy carbs. One of my favorite college professors always used to tell us “Carbohydrate ingestion–spares protein breakdown”–as you can tell she was anti the extreme low carb diets. So what she was saying is that if you eat enough complex carbohydrates–your body will never go into that preservation mode & burn your muscle tissue. What it is really all about is feeding your body the right kind of carbs–complex carbs, in place of insulin spiking simple carbs. My strawberry peanut butter wraps offer a great source of protein and complex carbs with a side of antioxidants & vitamin C from the strawberries. It is a great on the go snack/breakfast–just wrap it in aluminum foil and eat it burrito style on the go. Couldn’t be more simple or tasty.

The Ingredients:

Multigrain tortillas

Peanut or Almond Butter

Sliced strawberries

Raw Agave syrup for drizzling

How to:

Place tortilla in a dry skillet to heat through and toast

Spread tortilla with your favorite nut butter–Peanut butter and almond butter work great

Add sliced strawberries

Drizzle with your favorite sweetener: honey or agave–I use Raw Agave because it has a lower glycemic index than honey and doesn’t cause your blood sugar to spike. It’s also sweeter than sugar so you don’t need to use as much.

I hope you enjoy this easy breakfast/snack. It is packed with protein and is a great source of complex carbs. Plus it is relatively low in calories and is sure to keep you feeling full for awhile. Bonus. It’s one of my favorites and definitely breaks up the greek yogurt breakfast monotony…and it’s a lot easier to eat while you walk.

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About kitchenanatomy

Hi! I’m Meggan. I’ve decided to join my two favorite things: cooking & anatomy. Cooking and anatomy you ask? Don’t worry for all of you that have squeamish bellies! It’s not as it sounds! Check out my "About" section to learn more:)

Happy SITS Day again. These look amazing and yummy. Have totally pinned to try for myself and kids, too. Also now following you on Pinterest and Facebook, too. Hope you can stop by my page, when you do have a moment!! 🙂

These look SO good! I love peanut butter on anything, so I’ll definitely have to try this! I usually do a wrap with bananas, peanut butter and honey. Happy SITS Day! I love your blog and I can’t wait to follow it!